Malmsmead is not a name known by many outside of the local population, but if you have read R.D. Blackmore's book, Lorna Doone, then you will recognise it as the mouth of Doone Valley. The tiny group of buildings is accessed via a small packhorse bridge, or more usually, via a ford through the fast-flowing river. It's not an easy place to get to, being well-hidden down a tiny, very steep lane from the small hamlet of Oare, itself well off the main road.
If you haven't read Lorna Doone, I can recommend it.
The novel is set during the turbulent years of Monmouth's Rebellion (1685) and tells the story of a young farmer of Oare, John Ridd, who finds romance with the adopted daughter of a family of Exmoor outlaws, the Doones.
The tale of the Doones is said to be culled from real Exmoor history, related to Blackmore by his uncle, who was for a time rector of Oare church. The real-life Doones were said to be a band of Scottish outlaws, Stuart sympathizers who fled to Exmoor, where they preyed upon travellers from a hideout in the remote passes of Exmoor, beyond Badgworthy Water.
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